The present invention relates generally to a function expanding apparatus that is connected to an electronic apparatus and expands a function of the electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a wireless communication apparatus having a connector that exposes a connector for connection with the electronic apparatus. The present invention is suitable, for example, for a compact flash (“CF”) type wireless communication apparatus.
The recent spreads of the portable information terminals and the wireless communications require further repletion of data communications using portable information terminals, such as a personal digital assistant (“PDA” hereinafter), a personal computer (“PC” hereinafter), and a game machine. In order to meet this requirement, the wireless communication apparatus is required to have high performance and multiple functions as well as being inexpensive.
The Personal Handyphone System (“PHS”) is a mainstream in the conventional wireless communication apparatus and the communication network condition is not always good for data communications. Therefore, it is necessary to secure and expand the communication network by using cellular phone and NTT Docomo Wireless Packet Network (“DoPa”) communication networks.
The conventional wireless communication apparatus is often inserted into an insertion opening in a housing of the portable information terminal during communications. See, for example, Panasonic, “the World's first memory built-in data card type PHS P-in memory” brochure, Japan Matsushita Electric Industrial, Co., Ltd. This type of wireless communication apparatus 10 typically includes, as shown in FIGS. 15A-15C, an antenna 12 and a case 14. Here, FIGS. 15A to 15C are plane, side and rear views of the conventional wireless communication apparatus 10, respectively. The antenna 12 is attached rotatably to the case 14. While the antenna 12 is folded onto the case 14 in FIGS. 15A-15C, the antenna 12 is unfolded from the case 14 perpendicular to the paper of FIG. 15A when used for communications. The case 14 has, for example, a CF connector 16, which exposes pinholes pursuant to CF Card Slot Type I/Type II, and is engageable with pins provided to the portable information terminal (not shown). The CF card is a small memory card derived from the PC card, and can store data as well as communicating the data.
Since the wireless communication apparatus 10 exposes the connector 16 when disconnected to the portable information terminal, the wireless communication apparatus 10 is inserted into protective cases 20 and 30 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 for dustproof purposes. Here, FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the protective case 20 and a perspective view for explaining an attachment of the wireless communication apparatus 10 to the protective case 20. FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining an attachment of the wireless communication apparatus 10 to the protective case 30. The protective case 20 includes an upper cover 22 and a lower cover 24, and the upper cover 22 is rotatable around the lower cover 24. The protective case 20 accommodates the wireless communication apparatus 10 completely. The protective case 30 accommodates the wireless communication apparatus 10 movably along slide rails 32 and partially (or only around the connector 16). These protective cases are also referred to as a molded case, a soft case, a carrying case, etc.
However, the protective case is an accessory separate from the wireless communication apparatus and needs to be inexpensive. In addition, since the wireless communication apparatus and the protective case are separate members, the protective case is easily left at a communication place or lost.